Madagascar Orania species

[Morabeza]

Aloha kākou!

I just uploaded some pictures of my Orania seedlings that I took 5 months back. I bought them from Jeff Marcus as O. ravaka in 2007, but it seems that no one is 100% certain as to which of the three Madagascar Orania, ravaka, trispatha or longisquama, these will turn out to be. Regardless any outcome will be beautiful.

Pictures: germination 1, 2, abaxial leaf 1, 2, 3, 4, adaxial leaf, in 5 gallon container.

It would be great to get updates on how everyone else has been doing with these.

[BS Man about Palms]

My longisquama in the ground is growing. That about sums it up. The O. ravaka is too.

[quaman58]

This is one of a few plants that I won't try again. I got a total of three seedlings form Jeff Markus that grew okay for the better part of a year. I then tranplanted them into larger pots & I lost two of them to shock, despite being very careful. The third one just slowed down & died a few months later. The upshot is that you know when you have a chance to make something grow around here (long term), and you know when you don't. I tried, I failed, and & won't subject any more of these to this kind of torture.

[Utopia Palms]

This is one of a few plants that I won't try again. I got a total of three seedlings form Jeff Markus that grew okay for the better part of a year. I then tranplanted them into larger pots & I lost two of them to shock, despite being very careful. The third one just slowed down & died a few months later. The upshot is that you know when you have a chance to make something grow around here (long term), and you know when you don't. I tried, I failed, and & won't subject any more of these to this kind of torture.

I am not sure if transplanting is mastered by the most experienced either. I too have had trouble with some species of palms but have discovered that keep the root ball wet before during and after.........makes for much less % of losses. In the nursery, somethings we have a numbers game and have been able to experiment. I have had better success with the above method. The timing of the transplanting is important to. The humidity must be high and well into summer for some species so it is warm day and night. [other species it is not so important.] Also liquid kelp or the like makes things move.

[Matt in SD]

I have one ravaka from the same batch as yours. It's in a 7g pot, just a bit smaller than the 5g plant in your photo. It was outside in a pot all winter and looks perfectly fine. I ordered 2 originally and lost one to some sort of fungus. I didn't lose any when I repotted (which I did once with one of them and twice with the one I have left). Just received a couple more today actually. I think these will grow here in the right climate since this winter, which was mild, was definitely at least as cold/cool as better microclimates in San Diego in bad winters.

Jeff M has a huge O ravaka in his garden and it's really a sight to see. Very cool palm.

Matt

[quaman58]

Thanks for the tranplant suggestions Clayton; I'll use that method in the future. I've had so few problems in the past, these really stood out for me.

Yeah Matt, the first time I saw one was in the background of a Jeff Searl photo in Madagascar. Wanted one ever since, but they seem a tad too tropical for me maybe. My neighbor has one in the greenhouse. Like Bill said, it's alive, but that's about it.

[BS Man about Palms]

Well, I haven't been real forth coming. I think these WILL survive here, IF, IF they are 5-7 gal size at plant out. I planted my O. longisquama last year probably late summer when I realized that I had almost let it die from getting too dry. It had several near dead fronds and a good spear. It took a month to open the spear starting into winter. It has since pushed about 14" of new spear and looks to be doing OK. It actually looks decent.

My ravaka sat out in a pot all winter (yes, this past winter was mild) but it was pushing a spear when it was kicked out of Garys disappearing greenhouse, and finished opening it this winter. It looks peaked, but would probably look better in the ground if I knew where I wanted to put AND could do it.

I guess my first post should have been they are fine. Just not fast. But to be sure, I lost several smaller seedlings myself.

[BS Man about Palms]

OK- Decided to get some pics.

First is what was sold to me as Orania ravaka, I'm convinced its Orania longisquama.

On the other hand, I think this IS Orania ravaka! (15 gal pot)

The ravaka has more of a red/mud colored petiole and large terminal leaflets at the end.

The longisquama has more of a silvery/green look.

[BS Man about Palms]

What? No comments of disbelief, nothin?

[Morabeza]

It's good to hear how others are doing with these species as seedlings. Sorry for your loss Bret. Glad to hear that Bill and Matt have had success outdoors in So CA. I thought they might be a tad too tropical in their requirements.

I have also noticed that the root system on the ones that I have grown are indeed sensitive and rather slow in filling up containers compared with other genera seedlings of the same age. Also their root systems were proportionally smaller to the foliage mass than I expected.